Abstract: Provided is a method for rapidly and easily detecting a mutated nucleic acid, which is contained in a small amount in a nucleic acid sample together with wild-type nucleic acids, with high specificity and high sensitivity. In the method of the present invention, amplification of a detection region comprising a target site by a nucleic acid amplification method is inhibited, by the steps of allowing a nucleic acid having a target site to coexist with a clamp probe comprising a photo-crosslinking nucleic acid and having a sequence complementary to the target site, and photo-crosslinking the nucleic acid having the target site with the clamp probe by photo-irradiation.

Abstract: A monoclonal antibody that does not show a crossreactivity with middle-molecular weight (MMW) adiponectin and specifically reacts with high-molecular weight (HMW) adiponectin alone is disclosed. The monoclonal antibody of the present invention can be produced by using HMW adiponectin as an antigen. According to the monoclonal antibody of the present invention, a convenient, high-accurate, and versatile reagent for analyzing HMW adiponectin can be provided.

Abstract: Markers useful in diagnosing disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) or infectious DIC are provided. In a method for detecting DIC of the present invention, sCD14-ST in a sample is measured. In a method of detecting infectious DIC of the present invention, sCD14-ST and a coagulation-related marker in a sample are measured.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide an animal urinary function measuring device and an animal urinary function measuring method each with high accuracy in sampling a urine amount of an animal. There are provided an accommodating portion which accommodates an animal other than humans, a collecting portion which is provided below the accommodating portion and collects urine discharged by the animal in the accommodating portion, a reticulated portion which is provided below the accommodating portion, allows the passage of the urine of the animal into the collecting portion, collects an object other than the urine, and whose wire diameter of a net thereof being not more than 0.

Abstract: Provided are novel polymer particles for carrying a physiologically active substance and a method of preparing the same. The polymer particles for carrying a physiologically active substance can provide an analytical reagent, which has high analytical precision and sensitivity and can be stably prepared; can easily and precisely control the amount of functional groups carrying the physiologically active substance; can introduce, onto the surface of latex particles, a hydrophilic compound for inhibiting a nonspecific reaction; and can be prepared to have a narrow and uniform particle size distribution.

Abstract: A marker useful in diagnosing surgical site infections is provided. In the method of the present invention for detecting surgical site infections, sCD14-ST in a sample is measured.

Abstract: In the present invention, a cardiomyocyte cluster is disposed on a transparent substrate, and the quality of the cardiomyocytes is evaluated from the response of the cells to a forced pulsation stimulus applied to the cardiomyocytes. The cardiomyocyte cluster is disposed on the transparent substrate, and is exposed to the flow of a liquid containing an agent in a manner so that the agent acts on the cells, which configure a network. The extent of cardiac toxicity resulting from the agent is evaluated from measuring the fluctuations obtained from a comparison of adjacent cardiomyocytes of the network.

Abstract: Provided is a modified antibody which enables the quantitative measurement of the amount of a heparin/PF4 complex, an onset factor of heparin-induced trombocytopenia (HIT), without the influence of the presence of PF4, and which can be used as an HIT antibody standard specific for the heparin/PF4 complex. The modified antibody is prepared by linking a human IgG, or an antibody fragment derived from a human IgG, to a monoclonal antibody obtained by immunizing an animal (excluding a human) with the heparin/PF4 complex.

Abstract: A method for detecting a condition in a patient with disturbance of consciousness, by analyzing an amount and/or activity of a von Willebrand factor-cleaving protease, and a kit for detecting a condition in a patient with disturbance of consciousness, comprising an antibody or a fragment thereof which specifically binds to a von Willebrand factor-cleaving protease, or a von Willebrand factor or a fragment thereof, are disclosed. Examples of the detection of a condition include a detection of cerebrovascular disease, a detection of arteriosclerotic vascular disease, and a detection or prediction of severity.

Abstract: A biomaterial structure containing a larger amount of biomaterial than the conventional art with maintaining the reactivity of the biomaterial is provided by linking particulate lumps in which the biomaterial is bound with a compound capable of binding to the biomaterial, wherein the particle diameter of the particulate lumps is 10 ?m or smaller.

Abstract: Provided are an antibody capable of specifically and accurately measuring digested products of stabilized fibrin (D-dimer), and a method and a reagent for measuring D-dimer using the antibody. The antibody specifically reacts with D-dimer, which is plasmin-digested products of stabilized fibrin, but does not react with fibrinogen or plasmin-digested products of fibrinogen, which include fragment X, fragment Y, fragment D1, and fragment E3, and does not react with dissociation products of DD/E monomer, which include fragment DD, fragment E1, and fragment E2.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for diagnosis of a cardiovascular disease or condition or atherosclerosis and for a method for evaluating the risk of a subject of developing the same. Methods are further provided for evaluating a subject's risk of mortality, for evaluating whether a subject will benefit from a certain treatment or whether a subject needs to be hospitalized or whether a subject may be discharged. The present invention provides sCD14 or a fragment or derivative thereof (including in particular sCD14-ST) as a novel marker for cardiovascular risk in general, more specifically as a marker for cardiovascular disease or condition, or atherosclerosis.

Abstract: Provided is a method of measuring the presence and/or the amount of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) in a sample, which method is characterized by comprising the step of treating the sample in advance with an acidic solution, and a kit of measuring the presence and/or an amount of GLP-1 in a sample, the kit containing (a) the acidic solution, (b) an antibody specific to GLP-1, and (c) an instruction manual.

Abstract: Provided are: a photocoupling method that overcomes the problem of the stagnation of photocoupling with a target nucleotide using a probe containing a photo-responsive nucleotide, and that improves the photocoupling efficiency; and a photocoupling kit. The photocoupling method is characterized by hybridizing a target site present in a nucleic acid sample with a first probe having a sequence complementary to the target site and containing a photo-responsive nucleotide, in a reaction solution, and carrying out photocoupling by photo-irradiation, wherein self-assembly caused by the photo-responsive nucleotide contained in the first probe is suppressed. The photocoupling kit is characterized by comprising a first probe having a sequence complementary to a target site present in a nucleic acid sample, and containing a photo-responsive nucleotide; and a second probe being highly complementary to the first probe.

Abstract: A detection method and a detection kit for rapidly and specifically diagnosing Mycoplasma pneumoniae and/or Mycoplasma genitalium infections are provided. The DnaK of Mycoplasma pneumoniae or Mycoplasma genitalium is used as an indicator.

Abstract: For collecting magnetic particles, there is used a magnetic material including a plurality of magnets that are arranged in contact one with another in parallel to a direction of magnetization in such a manner that south and north poles of adjacent magnets are reversed alternately or a magnetic material having at least one peak of a magnetic force in a magnetic pole surface, and the peak magnetic force is 600 gausses or more.

Abstract: A monoclonal antibody that does not show a crossreactivity with middle-molecular weight (MMW) adiponectin and specifically reacts with high-molecular weight (HMW) adiponectin alone is disclosed. The monoclonal antibody of the present invention can be produced by using HMW adiponectin as an antigen. According to the monoclonal antibody of the present invention, a convenient, high-accurate, and versatile reagent for analyzing HMW adiponectin can be provided.